Immortals
by Rabbit '91
Summary: For centuries, Shadow has been hunting down his vampiric twin Mephiles, even though he is one himself. In the course of his journey he allies himself with the strongest of vampire hunters. But his adoptive sister, Amy sees a change in Mephiles that everyone else refuses to see. What will become of these two Kings of a dying species once the battle is finally over?
1. Introduction

**Greetings, this is Rabbit'91. Before we begin, I'd like to talk about the background of this particular fan fiction.**

**You may be familiar with the fic called, **_**October**_** written by author, PrairieEdge. The first draft began as a bit of a crossover with the anime, **_**Blood+**_** and I believe it was first helmed by PrairieEdge's sister before she decided to leave the site. After that, **_**October**_** went through various changes until the final one that PrairieEdge went with.**

**For a while, **_**October**_** didn't see any updates and when I went to look it up, I discovered that it had been discontinued as well as PrairieEdge's other stories. The reason being that the author had apparently and unfortunately passed away and a family member or friend of hers was operating her profile.**

**With this family member/friend's permission, I'm going to write this story based off of the original draft of **_**October**_** in which it'll be a little bit of **_**Blood+ **_**meets Sonic the Hedgehog. It will also have a futuristic yet 18****th**** century setting. No lemons tho, I got tired of writing those, sorry.**

**Credit goes to PrairieEdge and her sister for their story, **_**October**_**. **

**This will be my last Sonic fan fiction for a LONG time. Primarily because, I've ran out of concrete ideas and I've grown tired of making stories for the franchise, plus I'd like to explore others like The Legend of Zelda.**

**Please no flaming or trolling. I will NOT tolerate them at all. I will accept polite constructive criticism and everyone's entitled their own opinion. I won't hesitate to block any flamers or trolls. Be kind to others and I shall be kind back.**

**Other than that, I hope you enjoy.**

**Gentlemen….I bring you, IMMORTALS!**

**In Memory of PrairieEdge. **


	2. Chapter 1

**=Chapter 1=**

A cool autumn breeze ruffled ebony and crimson fur belonging to a male hedgehog dressed in black leather as he stood on the platform of a small and lonely train station. He was waiting very patiently for the train to arrive, which according to his pocket watch, was about 5 minutes late. His only companion, was a female hedgehog sporting sakura fur. She was also clad in heavy fur-lined clothing because she was still recovering from a cold she had a week before, and the midnight hedgehog wasn't going to take any chances on her health, nor risk her contracting pneumonia.

He was very angsty and cautious like that when it came down to her welfare. He often doted on her. Maybe a little too much.

Finally, a whistle blowing in the distance caught the pair's attention. Their train had at last arrived. Slowly, it came to a stop as steam emitted from its engine. The dark hedgehog then turned to his cherry-pink partner.

"Amy, let's go." he said softly.

The female hedgehog gave a nod and got to her feet. A few seconds later, the boarded the train.

xxxxxxx

The train started out again once its passengers boarded the vehicle. Amy and her ebony chaperone settled into their seats in the passenger car. The crimson-splashed male carefully placed what little luggage they had into the shelves above them.

"Shadow?" Amy called out.

"Yes?" the midnight hedgehog answered.

"Where are we going again?"

"Station Square."

"I see. I don't think I ever asked why."

"Just to get out of the country for a while."

Amy quietly looked down at her feet. This must've been the third or fourth time they were moving. That and Shadow was very keen on leaving the countryside and into city life recently, to which Amy wondered why. Mystic Ruins was so lovely, especially at this time of year. The sakura hedgehog let out a little sigh as Shadow sat in the seat across from her.

"Are you warm enough?" he asked.

"Of course." Amy replied. "For heaven sakes Shadow, I've got so much on as it is and I can barely move."

Shadow arched a brow as she slightly fidgeted around in her thick attire. She then began to pout in her seat as she looked out the window. Watching Mystic Ruins get smaller and smaller.

XXXXXXX

About 3 and a half hours later, the train entered Station Square. The weather there was bitterly cold, and rainy, making things look not very promising for Amy. She hated dull scenery like this. That's why she preferred living in Mystic Ruins so much. Everything there was so lively. As they disembarked from the train, Shadow pulled out an umbrella and held it over them. They proceeded from the train station and into the city square. Amy shuddered at the chill in the icy air. Now she was glad that Shadow made her bundle up so much. She followed him towards another stop where they would be slightly covered from celestial downpour. Amy scooted closer to Shadow for warmth even though he had none whatsoever.

That was just one of the odd things about her companion that she could never figure out. In the 12 years that she had known him, Shadow never emitted any body heat. And that was just...well, _weird_.

"Are we waiting for something or someone?" the cherry-pink female asked.

"Yes." the crimson-splashed male replied. "I have a contact that will provide us with lodgings."

"I see..."

"Are you worried?"

"No! Of course not. About what?"

"You seem to be anxious."

"I'm not..."

The midnight hedgehog wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a little hug. Then he took hold of her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. A minute later, a steam operated carriage pulled up in front of them. Coming out of it and clad in brown leather, was a cerulean furred hedgehog.

"'Afternoon, Shads." he greeted with a wink.

"Good to see you, Sonic." Shadow replied. Shaking hands with the other.

"How was your trip?"

"Quiet. This is my younger sister, Amy."

Sonic had a surprised expression on his face when he saw her. For a moment, he mistook her for another citizen waiting for a ride.

"*Ahem*...Nice to meet you, Miss." he said with a gentlemen-like curtsy.

"A pleasure." Amy replied politely.

"Well, let's get a move on before we get sopping wet."

The blue blur loaded their luggage onto the carriage whilst Shadow helped Amy inside. Shortly thereafter, both Sonic and Shadow boarded the vehicle and they were on their way. The rain became heavier and pattered outside the carriage as it drove along the road.

"So...about our lodgings..." Shadow began.

"Oh yeah, our place is downtown." Sonic told him. "It's a nice and quiet neighborhood. I don't think we'll have any trouble at all."

"Good. Excellent."

"One thing you should know, is that there's no street lamps."

"Why is that?" Amy asked curiously.

"Well, the district of the neighborhood put an order against it." Sonic explained. "Something about disturbing the night sky or some kind of nonsense like that."

"I see." Shadow said, stiffening up a little.

"Frankly if you ask me, I think they're going to lose a lot of potential buyers that way. There's people around here who enjoy taking evening walks in the spring and the summer nowadays and they won't be able to see a thing in the pitch dark."

Shadow was silent as the cerulean hedgehog continued his babbling. He mentally agreed with him, but on a completely different term. To the ebony hedgehog, a neighborhood like that was bound to attract some...very _unwanted_ attention. 15 minutes later, the carriage finally arrived at their point of destination. It was certainly a small area and quiet like Sonic had said. Absolutely peaceful. Shadow, Sonic, and Amy got off from their vehicle and into an apartment with their belongings.

"Home sweet home." Sonic quipped.

Amy inquisitively and curiously looked around as Shadow reached into his coat and pulled out a piece of paper.

"Would you mind if I used the wireless for a moment?" he asked. "I need to contact a few other people."

"Go right ahead." Sonic replied with a shrug.

Amy frowned and shook her head a little. With Shadow, it was _always_ business and what not. He never relaxed, even for a second, let alone a moment for tea. The cherry-pink female let out a sigh, gathered up their luggage, and started down the foyer towards the staircase.

"Hey, would you like me to help you with that?" Sonic asked.

"Sure. Thank you." Amy replied.

Sonic picked up a few of her belongings and led her to her room.

"Aaaaand this, is where you'll be staying." he quirked theatrically.

"Thanks." Amy said with a scoff. "May I ask you something?"

"Ask away."

"Why did you look so surprised when you met us at the stop?"

The cobalt speedster made a little bit of a face.

"Well...I didn't know that Shadow had any relatives." he admitted.

"Oh, I see." Amy replied softly. "To tell you the truth Sonic, we're not really blood-related. When I was really little, my parents passed away and Shadow took me in."

Sonic arched a brow at that as if he couldn't possibly imagine the dark hedgehog doing something like that.

"...Really?" he said.

"Yes." Amy responded. "I know it sounds silly because then, Shadow should be older. Much older."

"I noticed you didn't look too happy when we were at the stop either."

"I didn't want to leave Mystic Ruins. But lately, Shadow's been really jumpy about _something_. As a matter of fact, I didn't even know that we were moving until the day before yesterday."

Sonic blinked.

"Wow." he rasped. "Shadow and I have been discussing that for at least three months."

"Well, when it comes to...you know, his business, Shadow never includes me or tells me about it." Amy said in a low voice.

"That's probably Shadow being a big brother. And after all you _are_ a lady."

Amy rolled her eyes and gave an annoyed look.

"Men..." she muttered to which Sonic snickered.

"You need help with anything?" he asked.

"No thank you, sir. I think I can manage."

"Alright. I'll give you some privacy then."

The blue blur left Amy in peace to settle down in her room and went downstairs where Shadow was waiting.

"Gee, that was fast." Sonic commented.

"Where is Amy?" the crimson-splashed male inquired.

"Upstairs. She seems kinda moody."

Shadow made a face.

"Yes, she has been melancholy for a while."

"She's also kind of cute. Is she being courted?"

Shadow gave him an irate expression to which the cerulean hedgehog chuckled.

"Relax, I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Sonic laughed.

"You had better be." Shadow growled.


	3. Chapter 2

**=Chapter 2=**

Deep within the thick green forests of Kingdom Valley, was a large 4 story mansion. A very 16th century gothic looking mansion with its own chapel and graveyard. Seldom candles were lit around the entire house. There was only enough electricity to provide the interior heating in the winter and air conditioner in the summer. Neither of which were of any use to the mansion's inhabitants anyway. Most of the house was nearly pitch dark and deadly silent. A female squirrel with jagged auburn hair quietly walked down a flight of stairs down into the cellars of the mansion. Her eyes were a lifeless and almost expressionless dark blue. She was clad in a fancy purple gown, as if she were a duchess or a noble lady. Her wild hair was neatly combed into a bun, it still stuck out a bit. All in all, she was downright beautiful, but also quite dangerous.

A wicked smile came across her features when she finally got to the bottom of the stairs and as her eyes settled on what rested in the middle of the dungeon-like cellar.

It appeared to some kind of cocoon-like pod, covered in sticky massive webbing. It looked like a huge silk worm with large cobwebs around it, sitting upon the brick-laid floor and pulsating as if it were actually alive. The fact that it was generating movement brought an even wider grin to the squirrel's features. The peace of the silence was suddenly broken when the door to the cellars was bolted open with an ear-splitting slam.

"YOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOO!" called a shrill voice. "ALICIA! ARE YA DOWN HERE?!"

"Quiet, Rosy!" the female squirrel hissed. "Do you want to wake our master prematurely?!"

Waltzing down the stairs was a female hedgehog with really pale and faded pink fur. Her eyes, like the squirrels, were absolutely lifeless, only they were green instead of blue. Both of them sported ultra-white and very sharp fangs.

"Well _soorrry_ for bein' _loud_, Alicia." Rosy exaggerated as she apologized.

"Just keep your voice down." Alicia snapped.

Rosy trotted around like a seven-year-old. In actuality, she was physically 15 and a half years old, while Alicia was physically 18. The two females hadn't seen age in decades. One thing that most would agree on however, that Alicia was more mature than Rosy.

"Soooooo, how much longer do we gotta wait?" Rosy whined. "It's been like nearly 20 years! I think..."

"The cycle is nearly complete and over. In a few days' time, our Master will finally wake from his long slumber once more." Alicia replied, saying it more like a declaration of triumph and glory than as a simple response.

"Yaaay! I just can't wait to sit in Mephy's lap and tell him stories of aaaalllll the stuff I did while he was sleeping."

The female hedgehog began whirling about the room in girlish glee, spouting all the things she had wanted to do with the being that laid resting in the mass of giant webbings once it awoke. Alicia meanwhile, just continued to stand there silently and stare affectionately at the Thing on the floor.

"Where are the others, dear?" she asked.

"Oh, they all went out to feed." Rosy giggled. "I thought you might've gone too, that's why I was lookin' for ya!"

Alicia then half meditated and half fumed for a moment. Leave it to then to go out and leave their sleeping master unattended. Alicia was almost always having to make absolutely certain that their slumbering master would be in no danger. Rosy, despite being massively childish, showed a surprising amount of competence and responsibility around him. But even so, it wasn't enough. Everyone in the 'Family' had to pull their own weight.

"Come along now, Rosy." the squirrel called out.

"Okaaaay!" Rosy cheerfully replied.

The two females went back up the stairs, leaving the cocoon in peace.

XXXXXXX

That night, Amy got herself ready for bedtime while Sonic read the evening newspaper in the parlor and Shadow was on the roof of the apartment building, overlooking the entire city of Station Square. He closed his blood-red orbs and stretched out his superhuman senses. The sounds of city nightlife, animals, and voices of millions of people flooded into his mind. Then suddenly, he heard a rather unearthly roar and hissing noises, but they were faint. Shadow slowly opened his eyes again and made a face.

'_It won't be long now._ ' he thought. '_He's beginning to stir._ '

Then his ears twitched to the sound of Amy's voice asking Sonic where the midnight hedgehog's whereabouts might be. Which gave Shadow his cue to return inside the apartment.

"I saw him go outdoors just a while ago." the blue blur told Amy.

"Amy?" Shadow called out.

The sakura hedgehog, hearing her adoptive brother's voice, poked her head out of the parlor.

"Oh, there you are." she sighed. "Why on earth are you outside?! You know you'll catch your death of cold of you stay that long out there in that weather."

Shadow ran a hand gently through her bangs as she babbled.

"Don't worry over me, Amelia." he said softly. "Must I remind you so much?"

Then, the pair suddenly heard a snort of laughter when Shadow had called Amy by her full name. It was Sonic, trying to hide his face and giggles with his newspaper. Which of course made Amy a little upset.

"Care to share something with us?" she exclaimed with a huff.

"Oh nothing. Nothing at all..._ Amelia_." Sonic chortled.

The ridiculed cherry-pink female glared at the cerulean speedster and then at Shadow before marching herself up the stairs.

"I'm going to bed now, _gentlemen_." she ranted. "Good night!"

With that, Amy ascended up the stairs and slammed the door to her bedroom behind her. Sonic continued to snicker.

"Ooooo boy, I'm going to be having lots of fun with her." the cobalt hedgehog said.

"Would you _please_ be a little more civil to her?" Shadow sighed. "It's bad enough that she must be living with two men under one roof."

"Alright. Whatever you say, Mother Dearest."

The ebony male glared lowly at him.

"Oh, won't you lighten up? It's a joke." Sonic said.

Shadow just rolled his ruby eyes and exited the parlor. Sonic let out a sigh.

"Does no one have a sense of humor these days? Honestly..."

XXXXXXX

Back at the gothic Mansion, both Alicia and Rosy were in a large ballroom. Alicia was at large black baby grand piano and playing some Beethoven to calm her nerves whilst Rosy was lying on the instrument, wistfully kicking her feet back and forth. Then, there was a noise emitting from the indoor patio to which the pale pink hedgehog perked up.

"Oh boy!" she squealed. "They're back!"

Alicia ceased her playing, rose to her feet and went towards the back to the patio. Coming through the French doors of the courtyard was another female hedgehog with dark magenta fur, a saffron furred female mongoose with flowing violet hair, and an auburn furred vixen with brown hair.

"And where prey tell have you three been?!" Alicia asked accusingly.

"We went out for a meal." the vixen answered bluntly as to challenge the authority. "You can't keep us locked in this dungeon without it."

"I understand that perfectly well, _Fiona_. But I would very much appreciate it if you would tell me when you'll be abroad beforehand."

"So, has Mephiles awaken yet?" the mongoose asked curiously, trying to quell the animosity.

"Noooooot yet, Miiinnaaa!" Rosy sang, suddenly appearing by the mongoose's side. "Just a lil' longer!"

Alicia then went to the magenta hedgehog's side.

"Sonia dear, I will need your help tomorrow in gathering some...sustenance for Mephiles when he awakens." she said.

"Oh, if you insist." Sonia replied with a sigh as she lazily stretched her arms and laid down on the nearby couch.

The hyper pink female twirled around and hung herself on Fiona.

"So, are you happy that Mephy's gonna wake up soon? Huh? Are ya?" Rosy asked intently.

"Errrf, get the hell off me this instant, Rosy!" Fiona hissed, pushing her 'sister' away.

"Hmmf, you're no fun!"

Then the pale sakura female zipped over towards the mongoose.

"How 'bout _you_ Mina?"

"I'm just ecstatic, Rosy." Mina replied with a short snicker.

"Yay!"

Rosy then went off through the house dancing like a ballerina and giggling like a small child albeit maniacally. Mina gave a heartfelt laugh at her antics while Fiona rolled her piercing blue eyes and left to the Mansion's left wing.

XXXXXXX

It was about 3 am in Station Square. Everyone in the city was dead asleep, save for a few night watchmen patrolling the streets. And of course, Shadow. He was in the study looking over a stack of newspapers that he had previously asked Sonic to save up for him. The midnight hedgehog looked carefully until he found one that caught his attention. The article's story had told of an unfortunately citizen that was discovered dead by the police with his throat torn out and drained of every ounce of blood. Shadow narrowed his eyes and circled the article with an ink pen. Although completely random at best, these horrible and gory incidents had a pattern. All too painfully familiar to Shadow as memories of the past flashed through his mind.

'_They're on the move again._ ' he thought. '_There's no doubt now that he's coming out of hibernation._ '

Then the crimson-splashed male's ear twitched to the sound of yawning in the hall. It was Sonic coming down the stairs.

"Hey, Shads." he tiredly called out. "Don'tcha get any sleep around here?"

"I just want to do some research." Shadow murmured.

"Well that's fine I guess. We'll definitely need it for tomorrow."

"Yes."

"I think I'll have myself a night cap now."

With another loud yawn, Sonic left Shadow alone and went into the kitchen. Then, with one last at the newspaper article, the ebony hedgehog neatly stacked up the other papers and turned out the light over the desk. He quietly headed upstairs and towards his bedroom when he made a pause.

Shadow silently walked over to the other room belonging to Amy. Inside the dark room after carefully opening the door, was the sakura hedgehog peacefully sound asleep without a care in the world. Shadow, softening his hardened features, went over to her bedside and carefully sat down next to her slumbering form. He mentally admitted to himself that he had intentionally been shutting Amy out of things lately, but to him it was for the best.

Amy was far too precious to the crimson-splashed male to lose or have anything happen to. He already lost someone close to him because of this Mephiles character and by God, he was not going to allow it to occur again. Shadow gently stroked the cherry-pink female's cheek and bent down to give her a butterfly kiss. Amy let out a light moan and shifted about in her sleep to which Shadow smiled.

"Pleasant dreams, sweet little sister." he whispered.

With that, the midnight hedgehog left her to sleep in peace.

XXXXXXX

Deep in the cellars of the Mansion, the Thing lying on the floor continued to pulsate as it did earlier. Suddenly, the massive cocoon like pod began glow and pulsate even more. The webbings around it hardened and split right down to the middle. A gurgling-like growl was heard. Then finally, a black and bluish grey striped arm stuck out of the cocoon...


	4. Chapter 3

**=Chapter 3=**

Alicia came walking down to the cellars after hearing and being alerted to some strange noises which prompted her to check up on the cocoon-like pod. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, the squirrel's dull eyes widened in surprise. The cocoon was completely split open and lying on the middle of the brick floor was a back, bluish grey splashed male hedgehog. In spite of his color-scheme, he was absolutely identical to Shadow.

"Mephiles..." Alicia rasped.

Slowly, she drew closer to the hedgehog and knelt down beside him to see if he was well. Suddenly, without warning, his hand shot out and roughly grabbed onto her shoulders and pulled her down. Alicia let out a gasp as he did so, and then a little cry when he bit down on the cleft of her neck. The female groaned as her 'master' practically guzzled down on her blood. After a minute or two, Mephiles finally let her go. Alicia put a hand to her neck, lightly moaning as the bite marks there instantly healed, leaving behind nothing. Not even a scar.

"...ah...Alicia?" Mephiles rasped in a rusty sounding voice, with a large trickle of red fluid going down his muzzle. "...is...is that you?"

Alicia immediately went back to his side and gently pulled him into her lap.

"I am here, my King." she cooed.

XXXXXXX

The sun climbed high into the sky as the overcast began to break apart a bit. Amy was busy in the kitchen, making the morning breakfast for the boys while Sonic was in the upstairs washroom cleaning himself. Meanwhile, Shadow, still up in his bedroom since the morning star came to grace the skies, stared hard at the window. His right hand pulsated, so much so, that the veins were practically popping up from underneath his skin and fur.

'_He's awake._' he thought. '_He's finally awake._'

Amy went upstairs and knocked on the midnight hedgehog's door.

"Shadow!" she called out. "Breakfast is ready."

After a moment of silence, Shadow came out of his room.

"I'll skip breakfast for today, Amy." he said. "But I'll eat later, alright?"

The sakura hedgehog put her fists to her hips and gave a rather stern look to him.

"You promise?" she asked. "It's not healthy to skip breakfast."

"I know, and I swear it." Shadow told her.

"You had better be!"

Amy then left the upstairs hall and back down to the kitchen. There, she emitted a rather depressed sigh.

'_I'd really hate to have this all go to waste._ ' she thought in dismay.

Shadow rarely ever ate. But when he did, he had one large appetite and it mostly was comprised of meat cooked very rare. Nevertheless, it left Amy feeling very worried that the crimson-splashed male might not be getting a proper diet.

A few minutes later, Sonic came out of the washroom fully dressed and ready for the new day. Then he caught the scent of Amy's cooking.

"Ooooo, whatever that is, it smells _really_ good." the cerulean speedster marveled.

"Amy _is_ quite the accomplished cook." Shadow added.

Sonic eagerly trotted downstairs, where the cherry-pink female was taking things off the stove and out of the oven. She had made blueberry muffins, cheese omelets with seasoning cooked into them, and thick apple wood bacon.

"I hope you're hungry." Amy told the blue blur when he came into the dining room adjacent to the kitchen.

"You bet I am." Sonic replied.

After serving him, Amy went about making Earl Grey tea.

"So tell me..." Sonic said in between bites. "How did you and Shadow come across each other?"

Amy made a kind of sad but thoughtful face.

"Well, if you must know, he found me in the alleys of Mobotropolis." the young flower explained. "I...I ran away from the orphanage there."

"Did you now?" Sonic replied, his interest piqued.

"Yes..."

xxxxxxx

_~10 years earlier~_

_Shadow was walking through the quiet and dangerous streets of Mobotropolis. In his hands was a large mechanical crossbow. He was on the hunt. The ebony hedgehog had already caught one beast, and it was highly likely that were more._

_Suddenly, his ears twitched to a faint but very fast paced heartbeat. Shadow quickly took to his weapon as the sound came from a nearby alley way. He stealthily made his way towards the ally. While it appeared to be mortal, it could also very well be a convincing disguise. As he pursued what was lurking in the darkness, Shadow armed his crossbow. Then the presence tripped over a refuse bin, making the midnight hedgehog jump into action and take aim._

_But to his shock and surprise, what he was chasing was anything but a blood ravaging monster. It was a small female hoglett, barely eight years old and looking rather frightened. Shadow quickly disarmed and discarded his weapon and got to his knees, holding his hand out. _

_"It's alright, little one." he softly called out. "I won't harm you."_

_Which was easy for him to say. Reluctantly, the little girl came closer towards the ebony male._

_"...are you...with them?" she timidly asked._

_Shadow slightly narrowed his eyes._

_"Who are __they__?" he asked._

_"The...the police men." the hoglett replied._

_"No, I am not with the law enforcement."_

_"But...you had that..."_

_"I am a special hunter."_

_The small girl seemed convinced. Shadow got a little closer towards her._

_"Tell me, what is your name?" he asked._

_"A...amy rose." the hoglett replied._

_"And that would be short for Amelia, correct?"_

_"Y-yes." _

_"Where are your mother and father?"_

_Amy then got really sad in the face._

_"They're...they're not here anymore." she said. "I've been living at the orphanage all this time. Me an' the other children were really happy there an' the caretaker was really nice to us. But then these two really mean ladies came and said that the caretaker was doing a lot of bad things. Me an' the other children call them liars and said that those they weren't true, but the ladies wouldn't listen to us."_

_"What did these ladies say about the caretaker, exactly?" _

_"They said that he wasn't...properly taking care of us and endangering our welfare. They wanted to shut down the orphanage, but the caretaker threw them out. Then the ladies came back with the police and started taking the other children away._

_"So you ran...?"_

_"Yes..."_

_Amy let out a sniffle as Shadow fumed angrily. He knew exactly what she was talking about._

_'Those wretched welfare workers are an abomination.' he mentally cursed. 'They claim to be servicing society, but they really tear families apart simply because they do not have financial means.'_

_Shadow scooped up the now weeping Amy into his arms and got to his feet._

_"I will take you home with me." he said._

_"You...you will?" Amy asked, astonished._

_The crimson splashed male gave a nod and exited the alley._

_"You can call me, Shadow." he told her._

_"...Shadow..." Amy repeated._

_Then the two meddling welfare workers that the cherry-pink female told him of, suddenly appeared and out of breath. Apparently they had been chasing the little girl down which was glaringly obvious to Shadow._

_"Excuse me, sir." one of the workers said. "Is that child yours?"_

_Shadow stared at them, making them flinch._

_"Yes." he lied. "She is my younger sister."_

_Amy looked at him a little shocked. The welfare workers however weren't convinced at first._

_"Is that quite true?"_

_"Of course it is." Shadow retorted, acting like they were extremely incompetent. "When I learned of our mother and father's deaths, I came to reclaim her."_

_Amy looked at him in astonishment of how convincing he sounded. Finally, the two welfare workers left._

_"Are you adopting me?" Amy asked._

_"If you would like to think of it that way." Shadow said with a smile._

xxxxxxx

"Wow, that sure is interesting." Sonic said after Amy was finished with her tale.

"And I've been with Shadow ever since." she added.

Sonic was sort of shocked to find that the sakura hedgehog virtually had no clue about the _real_ Shadow.

XXXXXXX

Meanwhile upstairs, a jingle to the sound of Beethoven's 4th and a vibration coming from Shadow's interior coat pocket. It was his cellphone and the caller ID read: 'Rouge the Bat'. The midnight hedgehog immediately picked up.

"Yes?" he answered.

"Hey there, handsome." a feminine voice said on the other line. "We've got some info for you."

"Good. What do you have for me?"

"Well, that woman you had Knuckles and I tail led us into Soleanna."

Shadow frowned. Soleanna wasn't too far from Station Square, and while it did narrow down his search, the whole reason why he had moved with Amy in the first place was to get her out of harm's way. Shadow initially thought that his target was residing in Mystic Ruins.

"I see." he finally said. "Thank you for the tip, Rouge."

"Oh you're welcome." Rouge replied rather sweetly. "Will we be meeting later this week?"

"Yes, of course. Especially in the light of this new information."

"Alright then. We'll be seeing you."

XXXXXXX

"Wait a minute, what do you mean you're going out?!"

Both Sonic and Shadow were strapping on their weapons and putting their coats over them in the foyer of the apartment when Amy came after them.

"The weather's going to get really nasty today!" the sakura hedgehog continued. "And you two are gonna go out?!"

"Only for an hour." Shadow told her. "We'll most likely be back before the coming storm hits."

"Oh, alright. But please take an umbrella or something."

"See you later, _Amelia_!" Sonic teased.

"SHUT UP!" Amy shrieked.

The cobalt hedgehog chortled as he and Shadow went out the door.

"Must you make her so irritated?" Shadow groaned.

"Relax, I'm only funnin' with her." Sonic jovingly quipped. "By the by, I'd like to ask you a serious question, if I may."

"Yes, go ahead."

"Does Amy know that you're really...a...you know..."

There was a silence. Shadow gave a very sullen and reserved expression on his face and gazed upon the ground.

"No...I have not." the ebony hedgehog admitted.

"Don'tcha think you should?" Sonic asked.

"No, I'd rather not. It's...better for her that she doesn't know the truth."

Sonic let out a sigh.

"I don't know, Shads." he said. "I think you're asking for a bit of trouble on that one."

Shadow remained silent. As far as he was concerned, his decision on the affair was final."

"Anyway..." Sonic continued, after sensing that he should change the subject. "...what did Rouge and Knuckles have to report?"

"Our targets are in Soleanna." Shadow replied.

Sonic blinked in surprise.

"Holy crap." he rasped.

"Yes. I mistakenly believed they were somewhere in Mystic Ruins. When Rouge saw Acorn in New City I got rather suspicious and had her and Knuckles tail her."

"Well, on the bright side, we won't have to go on a wild goose chase."

Shadow nodded in agreement.

"Indeed."

xxxxxxx

The pair went downtown to a local pub on a lonely corner. There, they engaged in a conversation with the bartender about the peculiar and suspicious activity going on in the city.

"I understand that you witnessed one of the few..._ strange_ circumstances that occurred a few weeks ago." Shadow said in a quiet voice, showing the pub keeper a clippet of the newspaper article.

"Hmmm, oh yeah! I remember that whole mess." the bartender replied. "For a moment I thought I saw Jack the Ripper."

"Did you get a look at the guy's face?" Sonic asked.

"Naw. He was wearin' a hood and cloak. That's why I thought it was Jack the Ripper. That whole thing was nasty as sin."

Shadow meditated for a moment. It was unlike the Beasts he was seeking to be wearing disguises. It was also them to leave witnesses alive. Sounded like this one had some form of intelligence.

"I see." the midnight hedgehog finally said. "Anything else you can tell us?"

"Nope, that's about it." the pub keeper said.

"Mmmm, thank you for your time, sir."

With that, Shadow and Sonic left the pub.

"Well, at least now we know our man wears dark cloaks." Sonic quipped.

"That's a little unusual for a mouse." Shadow nursed. "I know that they wear disguises, but nothing like that."

"Maybe they wanted people to think that a freak's at work here. You know to cover their tracks?"

"Perhaps. This one sounds like he's been infected by our blood."

"Whaddya mean?"

"I know Acorn has been experimenting with the prospect of making more of...us by blood sharing."

"You mean simply biting people's necks doesn't work?"

"Please Sonic, you read too much fiction. Either way, we must be cautious."

"Right."

The pair went down the street as thunder roared into the now grey and foreboding sky. Sonic looked up at the ferocious elements and felt himself shrinking under it.

"Jeez, Amy was right about the freakin' weather." he said, tightening his coat.

Suddenly, a piercing scream erupting from the next corner nearly making the two hedgehogs jump. Nevertheless, they quickly raced towards its origin where they were confronted with a most horrid scene.

In the darkness of the alley, a large vampiric beast, that still resembled a mobian, held a woman by the neck and shoulder with its jaw. Large flows of blood ran down the brute's mouth and the woman's body. Its doll and pearl-like black eyes instantly turned and glowed a furious red when it saw Shadow.

"Holy shit!" Sonic exclaimed.

The monster flung its unfortunate victim onto the ground and roared angrily at Shadow, making the glass from the lamps and windows shatter.

"Rrgg, damn!" Sonic rasped.

Shadow quickly whipped out his mechanical crossbow and opened fire on the beast, temporarily disabling it.

"Sonic, quick!" he shouted with urgency. "Your gun!"

"Oh...right!" the cerulean speedster stammered.

He broke out a specialized shotgun, designed to take out much bigger targets, and unloaded a shot comprised of five bullets per shot and containing special chemicals inside each bullet. Weakened further, the monster fell to the ground, growling and snarling. Now, there was only one task left. Shadow took out a machete, smeared his own blood on the blade, and sliced off the beast's head. Seconds later, the monster's entire body turned to stone. Both hedgehogs could now breathe a sigh of relief.

"Heh, that sure as hell woke me up." Sonic quipped.

"Give me your lighter." Shadow told him.

The blue blur handed him a red marble lighter and the crimson-splashed male took a piece off of the now dead monster's body, lit it on fire and threw it back onto the rest of the remains. The pair then watched them burn.

"What shall we do with her?" Sonic asked.

Shadow turned and saw that he was referring to the victim who had unfortunately bled out during their battle. The ebony hedgehog knew that there wasn't anything more they could do for her.

"Leave her to the authorities." Shadow said. "No doubt that they'll be arriving soon to investigate your gunfire."

Sure enough, as the two were returning home, they saw a police steam carriage racing past them. Then the downpour from the skies began.

XXXXXXX

Amy was still at the apartment, now seated in the parlor room, listening to Mozart on a phonograph, and working on a counted cross stitch. The huge storm that was expected, finally erupted from the cloudy sky. Heavy rain pattered harshly against the building and the thunder was quite loud and rattling. It made Amy jump every so often, causing her to mess up her cross stitch.

"Awww, man." she whined.

The young flower then eyed the clock that was on the wall. It was half past twelve. Now she was wondering where Shadow and Sonic could be. Then, there was a sound in the foyer that made Amy's spirits instantly rise.

"Shadow?" the young flower called out. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Amy. We're back."

'_Thank goodness._'

Amy got up from the couch and went to the foyer to greet them. Only to be angered by their appearance. The two males were drenched from the rain.

"Stop right there!" Amy exclaimed.

"What is it?"

"You two are soaked! Take off your coats and shoes this instant! Before you both track mud into the house!"

Both hedgehogs, after exchanging glances, confusedly and reluctantly did as they were told. Then the sakura hedgehog promptly took them to the ground floor washroom.

"And then march straight to the washroom and hang up your pants!" she continued.

Sonic then turned to Shadow.

"Would've been nice to know your sis was a neat freak beforehand." Sonic retorted to the ebony hedgehog.

* * *

**AN: Welfare workers in the 19th and early 20th century were really ruthless back then. O.o**


	5. Chapter 4

**AN: Sorry for the delay. I had an accident that rendered me unable to write for a couple of days. But here it is, enjoy.**

* * *

**=Chapter 4=**

In the large and almost bare sort of garage, Mephiles sat on a huge heap of giant crystals. He happened to wake from his hibernation cycle in a rather horrid mood and took out his grumpy rage by destroying things and raising a patch of behemoth crystals from the very earth beneath his feet and the foundation of the mansion. The vampiric hedgehog sat there in total silence, and not moving a muscle. Then, Rosy came into the room, skipping around and twirling about like a figure skater.

"Hiya, Mephy!" she sang. "Are we still in a grumpy mood?"

Mephiles' greenish blue eyes instantly shifted up towards her in a deadly and glaring manner. Most would be frightened by this, but Rosy didn't seem to be bothered by it in the slightest.

"Ooooo, hoooo, hooooooo! I guess we still are!" she snickered teasingly.

Since Mephiles had woken up, Alicia warned the rest of his 'brides' to stay clear of him unless he truly needed him lest they get caught in his blind rampage. But Rosy wasn't afraid of him. In fact, she never was. The pale ebony hedgehog's eyes softened a bit and he raised an arm out to her, to which Rosy gave a little heart felt and excited laugh. She eagerly danced into his lap as he in turn, cradled her in his arms. Next, Mephiles bit into the cleft of her neck and sapped out her blood while the pale rose female giggled like a maniac. A few seconds later, he released her and licked her neck as the bite marks instantly disappeared.

It was quite apparent that Rosy was his favorite bride. She was usually the one who could get him to calm down when he was really upset other than Alicia. Not only that, but the two were pretty much on the same page with each other and incredibly, Rosy could interpret and understand the vampiric hedgehog's needs and wants a lot more accurately than Alicia or any of the other brides. The pale sakura hedgehog nuzzled her King's neck in affectionate glee and purred like a kitten.

"Is Mephy happy now?" she asked sweetly.

Mephiles did not answer her. He merely nuzzled her head as a response.

"Guess what I did while you were sleeping, Mephy!" Rosy chattered.

The bluish-grey splashed male then listened silently as Rosy told him about all the people she had hunted down and killed while laughing hysterically. He gave a dark chuckle while hearing her chatter.

XXXXXXX

A few days later, both Shadow and Sonic were out and about again, leaving Amy behind and alone in the apartment. The sakura hedgehog was beginning to feel down about being mostly left out in the boys' activities. It also made her feel rather useless, other than acting as their cook, caretaker, and such.

'_I really wish I could do more._' she thought.

The telephone in the study suddenly went off. Quickly drying her hands form kneading dough, Amy rushed to the room to answer it.

"H-hello?"

"Shadow?" said a male voice from the opposite end. The cherry-pink female instantly recognized it.

"Oh, hello Mr. Knuckles." she said. "This is his sister. I'm afraid Shadow is out at the moment."

"Hey there, Miss Amy." Knuckles answered. "Do you know when he'll be back?"

"I'm not sure. He wasn't too forthcoming on that."

"I see. Well, I'll see if I can catch him on his phone. Thanks for the tip."

"You're welcome."

"Good-bye, Miss Amy."

"Good-bye."

The young flower hung up the telephone and went back into the kitchen. She spread out the waiting dough and placed it in a pie tin. She was going to make apple pie for the boys so that when they returned, it would be ready for them. Unfortunately, just as Amy was cutting Macintosh apples, the two males came home earlier than expected.

"Amy?" Shadow called out. "We're back."

_Oh darn it..._

"Hey, is that cinnamon I smell?" Sonic asked aloud.

"Yes, it is." Amy sighed. "Very good, Sonic."

The cerulean speedster sped right into the kitchen and instantly became delighted at her creation in progress.

"Oooo, do I get some?" he playfully asked.

"Sure, when it's baked." Amy replied frankly. "And of course after dinner."

"Aww, so I have to wait that long?"

The sakura hedgehog, already tiring of Sonic's boyish teasing, started to shoo him out of the kitchen.

"Out. Now." she demanded. "Go on."

"You're no fun..." Sonic quipped.

He honored Amy's request, and was replaced by Shadow, who wanted to check up on his adoptive sister.

"Making sweets again, Amy?" he asked curiously.

"Well, I wanted to surprise you..." the cherry-pink female said in a disappointed tone.

"It's the thought that counts, dearest."

The midnight hedgehog leant over and gave his adoptive sister a peck on the cheek.

"Oh, did Knuckles get ahold of you?" Amy asked. "He called just a few minutes ago asking for you."

"Yes he did." Shadow replied. "He and another associate will be stopping by today."

Amy smirked.

"Poor Sonic." she teasingly sneered. "And here he thought he was going to have this pie all to himself."

The crimson-splashed male had to chuckle at that. Her little verbal revenge on the blue blur was amusing to him.

"Shadow?" Amy said. "May I ask you something?"

"What is it?" he replied.

"...May I _please_ join in on whatever you and Sonic are doing? Please?"

Shadow blinked in surprise a few times and then let out a sigh.

"I'm afraid not, little one." he said, which was not what Amy wanted to hear.

"Why not?!" she cried.

"Because the job that Sonic and I are going about is very dangerous and it's no place for a lady." the ebony warrior explained.

"So what?! I'm not scared!"

"I'm most certain you are not. However, it's still too dangerous. I won't allow you to get hurt."

"I won't get hurt, I promise! I'm a big girl. And besides, the kitchen is just as dangerous.."

"Amy..."

The young flower let out a sigh of defeat. Winning against Shadow was futile.

"Fine..." she said sadly. "I hate hanging around doing nothing. I feel practically useless..."

"You are _not_ useless." Shadow said sternly, and pulling her into a hug. "Don't let me hear you say such things about yourself like that again, Amy Rose."

Amy let out a huff and pouted into her adoptive brother's chest. Shadow stroked her quills in silence.

"Go on, finish your baking." he urged "Before your apples start to spoil."

"Very well."

XXXXXXX

Alicia went into the town center by herself to do some shopping. Mephiles, as part of his grumpy rage, tore apart some of the curtains and furniture in the mansion.

Over the decades, Alicia had become the wealthy benefactor of some successful businesses. In effect, she and her 'family' have been considerably well off. So replacing highly expensive items was not a problem for her.

While she was out and about, Alicia caught Knuckles and Rouge at a local café getting lunch. Now that she thought about it, she had been seeing them almost everywhere she went. It was like they were intentionally following her. An hour later, after filling out some orders and on her way home, Alicia found them again. This time the female squirrel led to an empty alley and disappeared by leaping into the window of one of the surrounding buildings. Both Knuckles and Rouge confusingly looked around.

"Damn! We lost the witch again!" the echidna cursed.

"She seems to be very clever. You think she realized we were tailing her?" Rouge asked.

"Eh, probably. Either way, we should get going. Shadow will be waiting for us."

Alicia narrowed her dull royal blue eyes as they left.

'_So, Shadow is on the hunt again, is he?_' she maliciously thought. '_That is a problem._'

XXXXXXX

The apartment had become still and quiet for while that afternoon. Then just before the sun was setting, the door chime rang, prompting Shadow to go and answer it. Standing in the porch, was Knuckles and Rouge. The ivory bat was clad in a silk blouse, black leather pants and tanned boots, while the crimson echidna next to her was dressed in a purple suit with a gold and emerald encrusted pocket watch chain hanging from his navy blue vest. Sonic's expression brightened when he saw them. They had come all the way from Soleanna.

"Hey, you made it!" Sonic quirked.

"Just barely." Knuckles replied matter of factly.

"Hey there, handsome." Rouge purred when she saw Shadow.

"Have you found an exact location of 'her' house?" the midnight hedgehog inquired.

"Mmm, not quite. Soleanna is a very big city. Nearly as big as Station Square."

"That and your suspect just loves to disappear." Knuckles remarked.

"Well, she and her 'pets' are bound to pop out of their hiding places sooner or later." Sonic pointed out.

"Agreed." Shadow replied.

Then Amy poked her head out of the parlor in curiosity of their visitors. She was instantly miffed to see Rouge.

"Amy dear, would you make tea for us please?" her crimson-splashed adoptive brother asked as he and the group headed for the study.

"...sure." she replied hesitantly.

The sakura hedgehog fumed as she descended into the kitchen.

'_It's not fair! How come that lady gets to be a part of their thing and I can't?! Where's the justice?!_'

Meanwhile in the study, the small group discussed the vampiric activity going on in Station Square.

"Well, we managed to find a mouse." Sonic declared.

"Indeed?" Knuckles asked with an arched brow.

"The town folk believed that it was the work of the murderer, Jack the Ripper." Shadow added.

"Oh yes, I remember that now." Rouge recalled. "It's my understanding that the killer was never caught."

"Which only makes the theory that a chiroptera was at work all the more plausible." Knuckles added.

"Well, since Shadow and I got rid of it, I doubt people will be talking about it anymore." Sonic said.

"With them becoming active again, it's likely that their King or Maker has woken from his hibernation cycle." Shadow murmured.

"That's a good thing isn't it?" Knuckles asked. "We'll be able to track him down a little more easily that way."

"One would most hope."


End file.
